Tuesday 21 August 1666

Up, and to the office, where much business and Sir W. Coventry there, who of late hath wholly left us, most of our business being about money, to which we can give no answer, which makes him weary of coming to us. He made an experiment to-day, by taking up a heape of petitions that lay upon the table. They proved seventeen in number, and found them thus: one for money for reparation for clothes, four desired to have tickets made out to them, and the other twelve were for money. Dined at home, and sister Balty with us. My wife snappish because I denied her money to lay out this afternoon; however, good friends again, and by coach set them down at the New Exchange, and I to the Exchequer, and there find my business of my tallys in good forwardness. I passed down into the Hall, and there hear that Mr. Bowles, the grocer, after 4 or 5 days’ sickness, is dead, and this day buried. So away, and taking up my wife, went homewards. I ‘light and with Harman to my mercer’s in Lumbard Streete, and there agreed for, our purple serge for my closett, and so I away home. So home and late at the office, and then home, and there found Mr. Batelier and his sister Mary, and we sat chatting a great while, talking of witches and spirits, and he told me of his own knowledge, being with some others at Bourdeaux, making a bargain with another man at a taverne for some clarets, they did hire a fellow to thunder (which he had the art of doing upon a deale board) and to rain and hail, that is, make the noise of, so as did give them a pretence of undervaluing their merchants’ wines, by saying this thunder would spoil and turne them. Which was so reasonable to the merchant, that he did abate two pistolls per ton for the wine in belief of that, whereas, going out, there was no such thing. This Batelier did see and was the cause of to his profit, as is above said. By and by broke up and to bed.

it smells of a weagie board? "...(which he had the art of doing upon a deale board)..."deale board= DEAL n.3 1; a thin board of fir or pine.1568-9 in Burgon Life Gresham II. 284 One shippe of Brydges [Bruges] in Flanders, in the which is mastes, clappe-borde, deel-bordes. 1583 in Northern N. & Q. I. 77 A new cheste of Deal-bourd. 1667 PRIMATT City & C. Build. 146 Deal-Boards from ten to twelve inches broad, and about ten foot long.

weegie ouija[Origin uncertain. The word has been variously explained as (a) &lt; French oui OUI adv. + German ja yes (see YEA adv.), (b) &lt; an ancient Egyptian word for ‘good luck’ (although apparently no such word exists), and (c) &lt; the name of Oujda, the name of a city in Morocco.]

maji?"...They did hire a fellow to thunder (which he had the art of doing upon a deale board) and to rain and hail, that is, make the noise of, so as did give them a pretence of undervaluing their merchants’ wines, by saying this thunder would spoil and turne them...."

Too true Bryan. Methinks our Salty has gone up a blind alley this time to assume this was a weagie board when it obviously was a wobble board, used off stage to create sound effect of thunder or cannon fire. (Weagie board used to summon spirits from the other side)

The wine merchant was probably happy to come down two pistolls a ton (are we talking about 1000 litres?) having upped the price by that much in case of haggling. The 'board wobbler' would also have to be paid; good wobblers don't come cheap!

skinflint was it said or written at this time ????? OEDOne who would skin a flint to save or gain something; an avaricious, penurious, mean or niggardly person; a miser.a1700 B. E. Dict. Cant. Crew, Skin-flint, a griping,..close-fisted Fellow.